Rome International Film Festival: Oct 27-Nov 4

The International Rome Film Festival kicks off its sixth year next week, with a star-studded lineup of expected guests and some highly anticipated premieres as well.  The international competition this year will feature four Italian films plus another eleven from around the world. Competition films include Pa Sletaune’s Babycall starring Noomi Rapace,  Fred Schepisi’s The Eye of the Storm with Geoffrey Rush and Charlotte Rampling, Pawel Pawlikowski’s The Woman in the Fifth with Ethan Hawke and Kristin Scott Thomas, and Tanya Wexler’s Hystera, with an undeniably awesome cast of Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Rupert Everett.  Along with these and the other competition films, the festival program includes a number of Official Selections, including Too Big Too Fail, Curtis Hanson’s dramatization of Andrew Ross Sorkin’s chronicle of that whole Lehman Brothers thing back in ’08.  James Woods takes on the role of Lehman honcho Dick Fuld, with the loveable Ed Asner portraying the equally loveable Warren Buffett.

Other festival highlights include Best Film, Best Actor and Best Actress selected from the competition films by a jury headed by Ennio Morricone and comprised of director Susanne Bier, Roberto Bolle, English actress, director and author Carmen Chaplin, the producer David Putnam, and actress Debra Winger.

Stephen Spielberg will be in town for a screening of his new 3D feature The Adventures of Tin-Tin, Luc Besson will introduce The Lady, Martin Scorsese is offering a sneak peek at his new film Hugo Cabret, and, for some reason, Twilight director Bill Condon will present clips from the newest Twilight film and do some kind of Q&A.

The festival will conclude with the presentation of the Marc’Aurelio award to silver fox Richard Gere and a screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film, as well as the opening of a new Audrey Hepburn exhibit at the Ara Pacis at the end of the month.

For a complete schedule and more information about the festival, visit the website.  Tickets from from 3-25 euro, depending on the event, and can be purchased online.

The festival runs from October 27th through November 4th, and is centered around Renzo Piano’s Auditorium Parco della Musica.